


fairest of them all

by erythea



Category: Fate/Grand Order
Genre: Lostbelt 3/SIN spoilers, M/M, One-Sided Attraction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:20:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25207606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erythea/pseuds/erythea
Summary: Lanling Wang is bothered that Yan Qing keeps staring at him.
Relationships: Lanling Wang | Saber/Yan Qing | Assassin
Comments: 5
Kudos: 23





	fairest of them all

**Author's Note:**

> 11/29/2020: Edited for better flow and added more meat to it! It's a bit longer now.

“Damn, you really are hot.”

“Gyah!”

In his surprise, Lanling Wang nearly bumped his head against the mirror. The voice behind him cackled the way his enemies would have liked to.

“What the hell was that?”

The voice belonged to Yan Qing, who mimicked the odd sound Lanling Wang made before letting out another bark of laughter.

Lanling Wang could only sigh. The ruffian often pulled small pranks on him like this ever since the general's arrival, and though he understood the joy of meeting a Servant from his motherland, he wasn’t sure if he appreciated the attention that came with it. He often caught the man staring at him with his cat-like eyes, lurking in the shadows as if he was lying in wait. Others found him frightening, but Lanling Wang only found him troublesome.

This was precisely why he wore a mask.

While Yan Qing took this chance to lean in and fix his bangs, Lanling Wang returned his attention to the mirror to straighten his clothes. He wasn't vain, but as Ritsuka's Servant, he thought that he should maintain a certain level of presentation.

“I understand that you enjoy the privilege of Presence Concealment, but please don’t sneak up on people like that. You could hurt someone — even yourself.”

“My skill rank ain’t that high, you’re just way off-guard.”

From his mirror, Lanling Wang watched Yan Qing stretch his arms and saunter around the room as he looked for a nice place to sit. A Servant like Yan Qing would not do anything untoward, he thought. He was just odd.

He eschewed morality, but fought for justice. He valued freedom, but hung on to Ritsuka’s every word. Things aren’t often the way they ought to be, so Lanling Wang decided not to take him at face value.

Yan Qing was never a proper citizen, but he wasn’t a bad one, either.

“Is there a reason I should keep my guard up among my allies?” asked Lanling Wang.

“Well, Daji did try to poison our Master…”

“I heard about that. Is that why I should be concerned about you?” Lanling Wang gave him a pointed look. “You're in my room, Sir Yan Qing.”

Yan Qing made a sweeping gesture toward the entrance. “The door was unlocked! Can't I drop by and greet a friend?” He slid up to Lanling Wang and clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Doncha trust me?”

Lanling Wang pried his hand off with a careful pinch. “I trust my friend to respect my privacy.”

“Yeah, I guess that makes sense.”

“You _guess_?” Lanling Wang repeated.

“You were taking too long.” Yan Qing plopped onto the bed that _certainly_ wasn't his, swaying as he pouted the way young Servants would whenever they ask Emiya if dinner’s ready. “I just figured I'd check in on ya! You know, out of the goodness of my heart.”

“Your heart will know that I am spending a normal amount of time for preparation.” Lanling Wang showed Yan Qing the tablet he was viewing earlier, the screen displaying details on jötnar and krichats. “Before you arrived, I was reading up on our mission. Our objective, our enemies, how to strike them down — essential information. I'm not a narcissist.”

Yan Qing gave the tablet a glance.

Then he tossed it onto the bed.

“Yeah, okay, pretty boy. Were you rehearsing your lines, too?”

Lanling Wang choked. “I beg your pardon?”

And he must have missed a beat, he thought, for it was not difficult for Yan Qing to close the distance between them. With a half-lidded gaze and mischievous smile, the ruffian caressed the prince’s cheek with an uncharacteristic tenderness. A tenderness he didn't think was possible. At least, not toward <i>him.</i> Lanling Wang's heart leapt in his throat, and briefly, he wondered if this was how people felt when he approached them.

“Ah, my dear Master!” Yan Qing began dramatically. "Even as our journey approaches its twilight, you are ever so beautiful. What troubles you? If it is the chimera that brings thee sorrow, I shall slay thy foul beast with mine righteous blade.” He mimed slashing a monster with an imaginary sword and, after slaying an enemy made of air, pulled Lanling Wang close. “Then when stars begin to dot the evening sky, I shall take off my mask and make tender love to you under the pale moonlight...”

By the end of it, Yan Qing dipped Lanling, closed his eyes and tilted his head to move in for his reward, which he thought was most obvious.

But Lanling Wang swerved the other direction.

“I do _not_ talk like that!” he huffed as he shoved Yan Qing aside, fighting the red glow of his cheeks. “These sound like your fantasies more than mine...”

“You really got stop projecting, Gao Changgong,” Yan Qing said with a voice like smoke. “I'm just calling it like I see it.”

“And what do you see, pray tell?”

Yan Qing gestured toward Lanling Wang as he grasped for the right words. “A… valiant warrior, handsome inside and out. A general who commanded five hundred men against ten thousand troops and lived to tell the tale! A man who didn’t seek glory, and only wanted to serve his country.” He grinned with his chin held high. “A Servant of the highest caliber, haha!”

Lanling Wang looked away, but Yan Qing didn't stop there. He tugged his lips into a smile that gleamed like the tip of a spear.

“To tell you the truth, I’m mostly here to see if the legends were true.”

All Lanling Wang could muster was, “Oh.”

The handsome prince, kind and charitable. The valiant general, bold and brave. The emperor's fool, loyal to the end.

“And they are,” said Yan Qing, cracking a wide grin. “Ah, competition’s getting tough around here. Things are gonna get a lot more interesting, I bet!”

He praised him, yet felt hostile. He saw an enemy, yet called him friend. In the palace, and even here, people said things weren’t often the way they ought to be—

Lanling Wang had enough of it.

“So you are troubled.” 

Yan Qing raised a brow. “No?”

“Yes, you shouldn’t be.” Lanling Wang paced back and forth across the room. “You’ve been in our Master’s service far longer than I. If there’s anyone who can serve them best, it would be someone with more experience as a Servant. One without a handicap like mine.”

He came to a halt in front of the mirror, reluctant to meet his own gaze.

“To call this a handicap would be arrogance, I suppose.”

“Oh, totally,” Yan Qing snapped. He was back on his feet, stalking around like the dragon on his shoulder. “Trying to lower my guard now, Princey? ‘Cause that ain’t gonna cut it.”

Lanling Wang bit his lip. “...Our Master speaks highly of you, but I worry that someone has made you feel inadequate. I hope that isn't the case.”

“Inadequate?” The carefree lilt in his tone gave way to a growl. “Now listen here, you—”

“Because you are far more qualified than I.”

Yan Qing's fist stopped in its tracks, his eyes as wide as the full moon.

“What?”

Lanling Wang didn't understand why Yan Qing was so shocked. If there was a contest, wasn't the victor clear?

“Your face inspires trust. If losing our Master’s trust is what you fear the most, then I am no enemy of yours.”

Yan Qing gritted his teeth and snarled, “Heh! ‘Course I ain’t scared of ya. You can show off that damn mug all you want. I don’t care. But if you think can take my goddamn place—”

“If you deem me a threat right now, then slay me where I stand!”

The general's voice cut through the air without mercy, commanding every hair on Yan Qing’s neck to stand still. The sharp sound of metal rang as he drew his sword not to kill, but to defend himself for what was to come. With a face like his, conflict was inevitable. Thus, he must do what he can to survive. If he survives, he can serve his master. If he survives, he can save humanity.

As the general's stare burned with conviction, he gave a quiet declaration: “Know that I will not go down without a fight.”

The sword then disappeared into light.

Yan Qing must have never seen such a threat before. When he gulped, nodded and took a step back, Lanling Wang knew he made himself clear.

"Fuck, man," Yan Qing sighed as he shook his head. "You royals are crazy."

Lanling Wang snorted. “Perhaps we are. I will serve as I have been summoned to do, but none of this rivalry. No more talk of competition. I tire of it.” Lanling Wang then dropped to one knee, bowing as deeply as he could. “I do not wish to fight you, Skillful Star. I only wish to be your brother. Please accept my goodwill... I shan't ask for anything more.”

Yan Qing's lips parted. He shielded his face. "Um, wait... Your Highness, this is..."

Lanling Wang was well aware of Yan Qing’s banditry, but that didn’t matter. Even if Yan Qing was never hailed a hero, Lanling Wang would have given him respect all the same. The ruffian was never a proper citizen, but he wasn’t a bad one, either.

Things, after all, aren’t often the way they ought to be.

“Alright, alright! I believe you, so get up already!"

Yan Qing pulled Lanling Wang back up to his feet, and the prince yelped as he grabbed the ruffian's arm for purchase.

"I apologize. Um, I was protecting myself, but I didn't mean to embarrass you."

Yan Qing snickered. " _That's_ what you're worried about? Feh. Ain’t a fight if you don’t wanna go at it.” Yan Qing rested his hands behind his head once again. “Sorry for uh, you know. Giving you shit. You just wanna do your job, right? Yeah... Yeah, I feel that. Guess that means we’re buddies now, huh?”

Lanling Wang smiled, happy that Yan Qing was able to set aside their differences. Some things still confused him, so he blinked. “Buddies…?”

“Yep!” Yan Qing slung an arm around Lanling's shoulders, grinning from ear to ear. Needless to say, it nearly knocked the wind out of him. “Now that we’re best buds, you gotta call me Master Yan Qing.”

Lanling Wang narrowed his eyes. “That’s not happening.”

“You also gotta tell me if someone’s hotter than us. I don’t want anybody else to be Master’s favorite.”

Lanling Wang hummed in thought. “I don’t know. That Edmond Dantes character looked rather...”

“Hot?” Yan Qing was up in Lanling’s face again, looking quite panicked. “You think he’s hotter than me, doncha? Ugh, I knew should've worked on my evil laugh!”

Lanling Wang fought back his laughter. He liked this. Everything was clearer now. He knew who to trust. It seemed that Yan Qing knew that now, too.

“Edmond Dantes is often cloaked in shadows, so I cannot say. A truly handsome face… I believe that is a face that can be loved _and_ trusted. If that is the case, then…" Lanling Wang gave Yan Qing a gentle sidelong glance. "Forgive me for being forward, but I think you are very handsome. Given how everyone in Chaldea relies on you, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say you were the fairest of them all. Anyone who says otherwise shall taste my blade! Please turn your ears away from their jealousy and press onward.”

With that, he straightened his clothes one last time and he put on his mask.

“Ahaha. ‘Taste my blade…’ Perhaps that was too boorish. I’ve spoken too much, but I believe I’ve said my piece. Well, Master is waiting. Let us depart, Sir Yan Qi… Sir Yan Qing? Why are you standing so closely behind me?”

With his voice muffled by Lanling’s shirt, Yan Qing replied, “No reason. Start walking.”

“O-oh. Yes, certainly.”

And so Lanling Wang walked, Yan Qing following closely behind. Lanling Wang didn’t want to make any assumptions, but Yan Qing’s face did feel warm on his shoulder. It’s possible that the ruffian was exhausted from their argument earlier.

Lanling Wang chuckled to himself. How troublesome.


End file.
